John Millson, who served as mayor from 1988 to 1991, said he is seriously considering vying for his old job.

“Every election I’m asked by a whole number of people – a very nice cross section of the entire community, labour, business, past political people – who’ve urged me to run,” Millson said Tuesday. “Last month, my wife Gail and I were at a couple of festivals and people were all over me, encouraging me to run for mayor.”

Millson, 62, currently serves as president of Great Lakes Energy, which builds and owns solar installations across Ontario. Great Lakes Energy currently has a “core” workforce of about 20 people, Millson said. Prior to co-founding the company in 2008, Millson was president of Windsor Raceway.

Former labour leader Ken Lewenza and Ward 1 Coun. Drew Dilkens are also considering a run at the mayor’s job. There are currently five declared candidates, including Larry Horwitz, Robin Easterbrook, Timothy Dugdale, Raymond Poisson and Ernie The Baconman.

Although he has been asked to run in past elections, federally and provincially, Millson said the current civic contest comes at a good time in his personal and professional life.

“When I left, the only reason was I had four kids to put through university,” Millson said. “In those days, you couldn’t do that on a mayor’s salary.”

Former Mayor John Millson is photographed at the waterfront in Windsor on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. Millson is considering another run for mayor. (TYLER BROWNBRIDGE/The Windsor Star)

Today, his kids are grown and his business “is running along nicely. My partners are encouraging me to take a look at the run for mayor and that has prompted continuing discussions with people.”

Millson, who first joined council in 1982 as a Ward 2 representative, said he supports the direction set by Francis and the current council.

In fact, he took credit for laying the foundation for key accomplishments, including riverfront development, the policy of zero tax increases and the downtown aquatic complex.

“In 1988, we started the fiscal fitness policy, which was holding the line on taxes to less than one per cent below inflation,” he said. “It mirrors all of the things Eddie has been able to do, which was to deliver a zero per cent increase.”

As well, Millson said he “got the ball rolling when we take a look at waterfront development. I was the one who negotiated and secured waterfront property from CP and CN rail.”

He also had a hand in assembling the land which currently serves as the location of the aquatic centre, he added. “At that time, I expropriated the land for a downtown arena.”

Millson admitted to a key difference with Francis. “My style was a far more open door policy; extremely open to the public. But we both had that same direction of growing the community.”

His top priority as mayor would be job creation, Millson said. “We have so much opportunity right at the moment to continue to create more jobs to keep our families in Windsor.”

Millson said he will make his intentions public by the end of August.

Outoing mayor John Millson has a warm embrace for his successor Mike Hurst, who rode a landslide victory. (Ted Rhodes/The Windsor Star)

Sandra Pupatello, former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister and current CEO of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation, said Millson is well known for his exuberant and down-to-earth personality.

“I think of him every time I drive by the CBC building on Riverside Drive,” Pupatello said. “He led the public parade against the closure of the CBC in the 1990s. He managed to marshall the entire community, people from all political stripes.”

Millson, added Pupatello, is one of the few politicians who became more popular after they left office.

“He’s very, very bright and extremely friendly,” she said. “In politics, you collect baggage. Somehow, he managed not to collect any.”

The growing number of mayor candidates bodes well for the city and reflects the tone set of Francis, Pupatello said.

“Our current mayor has been an activist mayor,” she said. “It’s testament to why we are having this level of interest.”

Millson had a “personal message” for Francis, who will be joining Windsor Family Credit Union.

“There’s a wonderful life after politics,” Millson said. “The Windsor Family Credit Union is an exceptional opportunity for him, the credit union and the city.

“Business is the backbone of the community. Eddie is someone who cares about the community and creating jobs.”

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The Jesus flag is not welcome at city hall. Councillors agreed Monday night with a report from city administration to deny a request to fly a flag in support of the annual March for Jesus scheduled for Aug. 22.